Founded in 1985, Cowater International Inc. has built a global reputation for excellence in the world of management consulting in international development. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada and with experience in more than 65 countries, Cowater has established itself as Canada's leading management consulting firm in international development.
Cowater International Inc. is implementing an upcoming project Women Empowerment and Political Participation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (WEPP-KP) project, which aims to increase the political participation and enjoyment of rights by women, particularly young and marginalised women and those at-risk, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. WEPP-KP has partnered with the KP Commission on the Status of Women (KPCSW) and the Social Welfare, Special Education and Women’s Empowerment Department (SW, SE & WED) in order to achieve the following intermediate outcomes:
- Improved gender responsive and inclusive systems of governments, democratic institutions and civil society organizations (nationally and sub-nationally); and
- Increased and equitable participation of women in democratic processes and public life, particularly young and marginalized women.
As the WEPP secretariat has a relatively small staff team, we will regularly outsource assignments to technical experts. In order to strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of our ways of working and improve the quality of our work, we are currently seeking to establish a pool of technical experts who will be engaged under the terms of a framework agreement. This allows the project to draw down on technical expertise as an when required and remain flexible and responsive to the needs of our counterparts KPCSW and SW, SE & WED.
SUMMARY OF POSITION
- Applying for a framework agreement
We are currently recruiting technical experts to join a pool of consultants engaged under Framework Agreements with WEPP-KP. Application details are listed in section 6 below. Selected applicants will add to the existing pool of 4 experts. Please note, a framework agreement does not guarantee a consultant a minimum number of days work but rather, is a pre-agreement of rates and conditions in advance of a requirement for inputs.
- Applying for individual assignments
When the project has need for technical expert’s support, it will prioritise working with experts already engaged through a framework agreement.
When new consultancy work is planned, WEPP-KP will share terms of reference (TOR) with the pool of experts who will be invited to submit a written Expression of Interest (EOI). EOIs will be reviewed and an expert selected based on the criteria outlined in the TORs. An offer will be made to the selected expert and a simple tasking note addended to their framework agreement will be shared confirming the offer and acceptance of work as outlined in the TORs.
ToRs for technical work will only be advertised externally if no expert in the pool has the specific skills or experience required for the effective delivery of a given assignment, or no experts in the pool are available within the desired timeframe, or if there are specific donor requirements that oblige that the assignment to be advertised through open procurement.
- Time Schedule and Contract Duration
Framework agreements do not specify nor guarantee a fixed number of days of work per year.
Each Framework Agreement will be valid for two years. WEPP-KP will evaluate consultant performance for each piece of work and use this information as part of a yearly review of the efficacy of the Framework Agreements. WEPP-KP will also systematically offer consultants the opportunity to provide feedback on their experience working with WEPP-KP to ensure that we are constantly improving our approach. WEPP-KP reserves the right to at any point issue another call for applications for Framework Agreements if it deems the mix of skills and expertise to be insufficient to meet the project needs.
- Management
The overall relationship between the pool of experts and WEPP-KP will be managed by the project’s core team, under the leadership of the Project Manager and Team Leader, with the support of the WEPP-KP Gender Equality Advisor.
Each specific assignment will have an identified manager within WEPP-KP core team. They will be responsible for managing the selected consultant for that specific assignment, based on agreed project objectives, time frames and milestones.
- Consultancy Rates and Payment Schedule
The consultancy rates payable under the framework agreement will be capped at a maximum daily rate which will be agreed between WEPP-KP and the consultant. The daily fee rates will be agreed upon in the contracting stage and will be fixed in the framework agreement for the duration of the contract, regardless of the number of assignments that are undertaken through the framework agreement.
Consultants will invoice WEPP-KP based on the payment schedule laid out in each TOR.
- Additional Information about the Framework Agreements:
- Are there any restrictions on who can apply?
Yes. Applicants should be individual consultants and/or self-employed. Consultants who are on framework agreements with WEPP-KP can still accept consultancy work from other agencies. However, we cannot offer a framework agreement to anyone who is contracted as a full-time employee by another organisation.
- If selected, can I still turn down work offered to me by WEPP-KP?
Yes. The framework agreement means that you would be within the pool of experts who will be offered an opportunity to submit an Expression of Interest for any technical consultancies planned by WEPP-KP. If you submit an EOI but then find you are unable to proceed, you may then decline the offer ahead of signing the tasking note addendum. This action will not affect your framework agreement or opportunities to take up future work with the project. The framework agreement is similar to a zero-hours contract, in which you are free to accept or refuse any assignments that are offered to you.
- Do I have to apply for a minimum number of consultancies each year?
No, there is no minimum. However, if you do not submit an EOI for any assignments over the term of the framework agreement, WEPP-KP will open a dialogue to improve ways of working and assess how to make the agreement work better for you and the project.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
Minimum experience and knowledge:
WEPP-KP is looking for candidates who demonstrate that they meet at least ONE of the following technical criteria. We are also seeking diversity in terms of language skills and geographical location.
- Demonstrated understanding of recent developments in gender responsive laws and Provincial Government regulations and politics surrounding women’s empowerment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
- Operational experience designing and implementing gender-responsive training, particularly on Pro-Women Laws, gender mainstreaming in policy and programming or related topics.
- Experience in legal review in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
- Experience developing guidelines, training manuals and processes for organisational development within government agencies.
- Strong technical knowledge of at least one of the following technical thematic areas:
- Gender mainstreaming, including gender analysis, gender equality areas and social inclusion, gender assessments, gender audits etc.
- Gender responsive evidence-based research tools and studies.
- Multi-sector legal expertise, including legal review, designing rules and regulations for Pro-Women Laws, and building capacity of government staff in legal review.
- Capacity building of government departments in gender equality and related topics.
- Communications for development, specifically developing and designing IEC materials on women’s empowerment and political participation.
- An in-depth understanding of key standards, guidelines and tools relating to any of the thematic areas listed above.
Essential Skills:
In addition, candidates should demonstrate ALL of the following skills:
- Demonstrated ability to analyse and interpret data and synthesise and present it in an accessible way.
- Evidence of ability to present research findings in a variety of ways for a variety of audiences, including through webinars, blogs and articles.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
- Ability to work in Pashto and/or Urdu languages.
- The ability to work in Pakistan.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Please submit these documents before January 25, 2020.
Interested applicants are expected to submit an application with the following components:
a) A technical proposal (no more than 3 pages) including:
- An overview of your skills and experience and assignments undertaken, specifically highlighting the one or more criteria (listed above) for which you qualify.
- Details of your membership, or association with, any relevant groups, rosters, or other organisations.
- Your expected daily fee rate in PKR (exclusive of taxes).
- Descriptions of, and links to at least 3 examples of recent work relevant to this framework agreement.
b) An updated version of your CV.
c) Contact details for at least two referees for whom you have carried out similar work, stating the organization, address, assignment undertaken (date and duration), contact person’s name with email address and contact number. Please note that current WEPP-KP staff cannot act as referees.
Note: applications which are missing any of the three (3) above list elements will be automatically disqualified from the evaluation process.
For your application to be considered, please upload your documents as followed: Candidate Last Name, First Name, date.
We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those shortlisted will be contacted.
ABOUT US
With more than 34 years’ experience, Cowater International is Canada’s global leader in management consulting services specializing in international development and has managed the implementation of over 800 projects in more than 80 countries around the globe. We work with governments, partner organizations, communities and civil society to design and implement sustainable solutions that generate lasting social, financial and environmental impacts. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies in 2017 and 2018. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, Cowater International also has corporate offices in Montreal, Quebec, Paris, France, Pretoria, South Africa, and London, United Kingdom, Nairobi, Kenya in addition to project offices in a wide variety of other locations across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
Apply now: https://www.cowater.com/en/career/career-opportunities/